Page 54 of Ascendant Moon
Lou smiled at the mention of his beautiful mate and their soon-to-arrive pups.
“She’s more tired than usual, but feels good most of the time. It’s just a matter of days—any time really. I just hope I’m not out on a call and miss the delivery.”
Scooter hadn’t considered that, but then, babies showed up on their own schedule.
“Are you nervous? About being a dad, I mean?”
Lou was getting better about allowing his packmates to see the real man behind the tough-guy persona he’d developed over the years, and his expression softened a bit.
“Well… I can’t wait to see the pups, but, yeah, it scares me a little bit. Good thing there are some great role models at home, because it’s all new to me.”
Scooter figured that was all he was going to get out of the man and changed the subject.
“Do you have any campaign stops this week?”
Lou nodded. His run for sheriff was in the final stretch, and public appearances helped him connect with local voters.
“Yep. On Wednesday, I’m leading a bunch of volunteers to knock on doors and encourage people to vote in November. On Friday night, I’ll meet with a senior citizens group that’s concerned about increased property crimes in Delta County.”
Lunch arrived, bringing their conversation to an abrupt close. It took two servers to deliver everything, filling the table with heavily loaded plates. Since their time was limited, the two focused on refueling, leaving further chitchat for later.
Chapter 28
Late afternoon, Duluth
Adam Sheppard had been sequestered in his office, having issued explicit instructions not to be disturbed. He’d received Jack Eby’s email shortly after their teleconference and had been ruminating for hours. It was, as expected, a thorough and balanced way of handling the turning of humans—a subject he’d never expected to consider. He found it amusing that the easiest part of the whole issue was the turning itself! Coupled with Donna Follett’s medical recommendations, the practice could, indeed, become routine among packs everywhere.
There were two things that really threw him, however, and the first was thatTrue Elderswere the ones responsible for the horrific stories that had frightened generations of shifters away from the practice. Up till now, they had been considered the most trustworthy and honest of their people, and when the truth came out, it would sully their reputation. Sheppard understoodwhythey did it, the pressure they were under, and the limited methods of communication existing at the time.
The second thing that gave him pause was the potential for abuse. Jack had pulled no punches listing possible nefarious uses of the practice, and some were truly frightening. A large part of his recommended “rules” involved relying heavily on withholding certain information and requiring True Elders to oversee the turnings. In addition, their ability to influence minds would be needed in case something went wrong or the turned human could not be trusted.
Fortunately, there was no rush to reintroduce the practice, giving Sheppard time to meet with the regional councils andcome up with a unified policy. Now that he had a better handle on the issue, it made sense to contact Alpha Cruz—the only other council president who knew about human turnings. Besides, he needed to speak with him about the funding request for the small pack that now included Gray Claw. That was a much easier issue to tackle, and one he looked forward to resolving. Decision made, he dialed Cruz’s number and settled in for a long conversation.
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Wednesday, September 8, Eagle River packlands
Lincoln obediently walked alongside Bruce like a pet dog, trying not to upset the man and be taken back to the house. Alpha Richmond had ordered his captor to bring him to supper at the packhouse three times a week after Melva’s brave intervention the last time. Bruce tried to protest, but Richmond had torn a strip off of him right in front of Lincoln.
“Don’t test my patience, you idiot! The whole pack is up in arms because you’ve got him squirreled away at home. There are rumors flying all over packlands, and it doesn’t help that he’s covered in your scent! Bathe him if you have to, but don’t bring him out smelling like your whore. If you want my support to continue, you’ll do what I tell you to do without arguing.”
Now, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening, Lincoln enjoyed interacting with his packmates and eating something besides raw meat. Though he was still required to remain at Bruce’s side, others were allowed to talk to him or bring him treats. Melva always met them at the door and even volunteered to bring his supper, along with Bruce’s. She would share ordinary things from her day, pet him tenderly, and ask if he was all right.
Bruce hated her as much as she despised him, but he couldn’t refuse her visits without causing a scene and getting himself in trouble. There was so much Lincoln wished he could say, but he was restricted to nothing more than a quiet yip or a tiny growl—otherwise Bruce would get testy and take it out on him later. Still, he looked forward to the visits, as it was the only interaction he had with the pack. Some were fooled into thinking he was content with the situation, but Melva and a few others knew the truth. He could see it in their eyes and scent their resentment, though no one was foolish enough to risk sharing their opinion.
Lincoln watched Melva’s face and gestures carefully as she talked to him, convinced she was secretly plotting his escape while pretending to be harmless. He clung to that hope, passing the time in his basement cage by imagining what she might do. It was dangerous business, though, and she was just stubborn enough to try something outrageous or risky. In many ways, it would be worse to lose his best friend than be stuck with Ballard for the rest of his life.
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Friday, September 10th
Lou left for work following breakfast, though he’d wanted to call in. With Donna now at full term, he didn’t want to miss a moment with her or the pups. No one could blame the man, and his textbook behavior was totally expected. Donna kissed him thoroughly and gently shooed him out the door with assurances that she knew the signs, and would call him when the process started. Normally, that would give him plenty of time to get home before delivery, though she’d neglected to explain that there were often exceptions to the rules. Besides, Donna didn’tfeel any different this morning, and was free to comfortably relax at home.
Yesterday was her last day at the clinic, having hired a young human OBGYN named Lynnett Byrd to care for her patients for a couple of weeks. She’d decided to keep the half-day hours for the foreseeable future, and with Erin there to handle the front desk, Donna was confident it would all work out fine. After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, she went upstairs to her bedroom and fiddled with the jumble of blankets and pillows in the corner.
The nesting instinct had begun two weeks prior, creating a somewhat irrational need to find theperfectspot to deliver. In her case, the location had remained the same, though the contents of her nest was subject to daily additions, deletions, and arrangements. Nothing in the nest would make a great deal of practical difference since she’d be birthing her pups in wolf form, and wolves had been doing so under adverse conditions since time immemorial without problems.
The real key for shifters was removing potentially stressful elements and being surrounded by familiar and safe scents—mainly her mate. Delivering inside meant no worries about weather or being attacked while vulnerable, and with Lou present and packmates close by, she could relax and enjoy the arrival of her children. Fond memories of Erin’s birth rose to the surface, and Donna recalled how different her life was back then. Still, the birth was easy, and she’d enjoyed the family bonding time immensely. There was no reason to expect anything different this time around.
